Thieves cut down tree to steal bike in Montreal
The crime is also a reminder not to attach your ride to a living thing
Bike thefts are a regular thing in many cities but the crime is even worse when a sapling is hacked down in the process. A recent incident in Montreal is being used as a remidner that cyclists should never lock their bikes to trees.
On June 29, a bike chained to a sapling in Montreal’s Plateau neighbourhood appears to have been stolen after the tree was sawed in half.
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Trees are not bike stands
Before-and-after photos of the event were shared earlier this week on Vélo Volé, a Facebook page that tracks bike thefts across the city. A poster posted a photo of a bike locked to a tree. The person who shared the image did not own the bike. They simply wanted to remind people not to lock bikes to trees.
Thieves used the opportunity to nick the bike
In Montreal, it is strongly discouraged to secure your bike to a tree or street furniture like benches. Following the incident involving the tree, city councillor Tan Shan Li posted on Twitter.
“Reminder: It is forbidden to attach your bike to a tree. A bicycle and padlock can damage the trunk of young trees and impair sap circulation. Unscrupulous thieves will saw off the tree to steal the bike,” the caption read.
Rappel : Il est interdit d'attacher son vélo à un arbre
1⃣ Vélo & cadenas peuvent endommager le tronc des jeunes arbres et nuire à la circulation de la sève
2⃣Des voleurs sans scrupule vont scier l'arbre pour voler le vélo
? Vélo Volé – Montréal sur FB@ArbresMontreal #velomtl pic.twitter.com/7pnPAzQV2d— Tan Shan Li (@TanShanLiMTL) June 28, 2023
